Gus Bradley: I’m standing strong with Blaine Gabbert

It was another long and ugly day for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but they’ll come back next week with Blaine Gabbert as their starting quarterback.

Coach Gus Bradley said after the game on Sunday that he is “standing strong” with Gabbert after the quarterback went 17-of-32 for 179 yards with three interceptions in the 37-3 loss to the Colts. Bradley said that he still thought Gabbert has strengths as a quarterback, but that the team and the player may have to try harder to bring them to the surface.

“Maybe what we thought were his strengths, maybe we have to dig deeper and find out what they are,” Bradley said, via Vito Stellino of the Florida Times Union. “Hopefully, we can find out very soon.”

While it’s all well and good to say that Gabbert’s not playing well enough, even if his receivers offered him no help on Sunday by dropping passes, it’s not like there’s a great option to replace him. The Jags looked no better when Chad Henne was playing and there’s little doubt that the Jaguars will be drafting a quarterback early in next year’s draft to build their team around so there’s not much point surrendering draft picks for a temporary patch like Josh Freeman.

That won’t make days like Sunday any easier to swallow, but the bed’s pretty much made for the Jaguars this season.

Clowney first pick in the draft, then Manziel first pick in the 2nd with Gus Bradley expecting him to be the next Russell Wilson, which he may well be. As much as I don’t want to believe in that kid, there’s no denying what he’s been able to do in his college career, esp against Alabama for 2 years now who may be the closest thing college football has to an NFL team.

Henne isn’t good, or even a lot better. But he has shown in the past an ability to move an NFL offense, which Blaine Gabbert has not.

It’s reminiscent of Curtis Painter and Orlovsky in 2011. Orlovsky wasn’t good, but he gave the Colts a wee bit of a chance and was cleary better than Painter. Once one of the Indy beat writers called the Colts for tanking by continuing to play Painter, a switch to Orlovsky was announced a mere day or two after.

Quite frankly, what do they have to lose by playing a guy like Matt Scott down the stretch? Might as well see if a kid like that has chops when it’s clear what you already have in your top two quarterbacks. Scott has some talent.

oh, standing strong behind Gabbert huh. well, i hope the owner says after the year, “Gus Bradley, you’re fired.” sorry, but this is why i didnt agree with the Jaguars moves this year. it’s one thing to know you stink, but to not try to improve, no. i hope the Jags start over with a new coach and QB because for this guy to not even try to get a better QB was stupid. he passed on Barkley in round 3 and he didnt sign a Vince Young who would be better (even if it’s not too much better) than Gabbert.

0-16. Honestly, the one thing that European soccer has over American sports is relegation. If a franchise is a joke, punish them by sending them to a lesser league until they get their act together. Really, the Jaguars do not belong in the NFL right now.

All three of the interceptions charged to Gabbert were on his receiver’s hands and bobbled into the air. You can’t measure the difference that makes in a game, especially early on, and the effect it has on the quarterbacks confidence. Shorts had four drops himself, two of which became interceptions. He is what he is, a late round, small college guy with short arms, small hands, and a propensity for drops. Only in Jacksonville would he be more than a number three or four receiver.

I would thank the jags for being the team that makes the NFL change to the NBA lottery system. The tank job being done by this team is a disgrace.

How sad for the players that are working there tails off, what seems like the coaches being told to stick with one of the worst QB in NFL history, knowing they have no shot to win and they better like it. hennie is a better option, hell give Tebow or VY a call. And, management and the owner laughing, hoping they lose every game.

Gus Bradley got to see as a coach how Seattle overhauled a whole roster when you have next to no talent. It sucks as a fan because I remember losing in one sided blow outs 3-4 years ago. Jacksonville has probably made the most roster moves by any team in the NFL this year. I don’t see them winning a game unlike Giants/Steelers who may win a couple. But with that beast waiting with the 1st overall pick that once in a decade player that is a huge piece for that defense. Josh Freeman may be a headcase but he’s better than Gabbert and Henne combined.

“Maybe what we thought were his strengths, maybe we have to dig deeper and find out what they are,”

Wow, quite the endorsement there, coach. Isn’t Vince Young still available? He can’t be worse than Gabbert. You don’t even know why you’re playing him. You just admitted that he’s not good at anything, yet you’re going to keep marching him out there? The ineptitude obviously starts at the top.

Onebucplace seems to be worried about the Jags more than his team, the other 0-4 Florida organization. Atleast the Jags weren’t expected to do anything this year, and even the brass didn’t have high expectations since we’re rebuilding. So much for Revis being the missing piece for a Bucs supposed ‘playoff run’. LOL

Gus is doing what you have to do with your starting quarterback, you give them 100% support…up until the moment you bench the s**t out of them. The nature of the position requires self confidence, the head coach doesn’t want to contribute to damaging that while the guy is still the starter. But you KNOW Gabbert is absolutely almost out of rope.

Gabbert has the built in excuse that he has never played behind an acceptable o line. That said. His strength is his positive attitude. And not anything he has shown on the field. The Jags are a dumpster fire at a municipal waste facility. Worse than 2012. Hard to blame the subpar defense when the inept offense keeps them on the field all day. Jedd Fisch may retain his job with all these same built in excuses, but he isn’t helping matters either.

Trade mjd, get another third round pick, what’s the point of having an aging RB in your roster when you can barely score 3 points a game? He’s not helping you look better so if you’re gonna look this bad just get something for him while you can.

If great players and great coaches have to make great adjustments to win, why not great front offices?

I have yet to hear a compelling argument against bringing in Tim Tebow to Jacksonville. Logistically, I’m sure it would be an enormous adjustment for the coaching staff and team to bring in a guy who has to learn a new offense and to ask your team to run a different offense, but at a VERY ugly 0-4, does staying the course give you a better chance at winning?
Does it give you a better chance at inspiring hope within the fan base?
Does it give you a better chance to sell the Jaguars product?

Ownership, coaching and the Jags front office are all professionals. They aren’t conspiring to lose so they can “justify” moving the team or position for a first round draft pick. But as professionals, they need to have the courage to set aside their egos and admit they might have been wrong, and they need to have the courage to make adjustments.
Anything less will continue to alienate the fan base and cost the organization millions of dollars.

I’ve said it during the 2011 draft and I will say it again, Blaine’s father must have some serious friends in high places in the NFL. First we had the fake praise of how “ready” Blaine was and how much “better” he was than the number one pick that year, spewed by folks like Mike Mayock. The number One pick in the Draft had to prove himself as a QB in the eyese of those who hid Blaine’s many flaws.